


Hero

by astraplain



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 21:31:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3825748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are compromises Adam won’t make</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hero

“Were you going to tell me?” Adam asked, every line of his face and body tense. Several changes of clothes and Adam’s toiletry bag were on the bed next to an open duffle bag and Adam had clearly been packing when Kurt arrived.

“Are you leaving me?” Kurt could barely say the words. He ached with the need to touch Adam, but wasn't sure the contact would be wanted or allowed.

“Answer the question, Kurt.”

The letter. That damnable piece of paper was thrust at him and Kurt took it, the edges crumpling in his grip. He didn't have to read it again; he’d had three others like it already. All of them warning him to withdraw his original play from consideration for the NYADA senior showcase before something unfortunate happened to him or his “roommate”.

“You can’t do this,” Adam told him, spitting out the words, hard-edged and bitter. "I don’t need a savior.“ They stared at each other and Kurt could feel Adam weighing and measuring him. He knew he’d been found wanting even before Adam lowered his head and reached for the duffle.

"Adam–” Kurt reached out, his fingers barely brushing Adam’s arm as the man backed away.

“Don’t.” Adam snapped before relenting the smallest bit, “Just don’t make it harder, Kurt.” Clothes were shoved into the duffle without care, but Kurt barely noticed. He’d known it was a risk, keeping this from Adam. He’d known, but he’d done it anyway. Every time he’d tried to say something, to break free of his hard-learned patterns of behavior, he’d ended up blathering about something meaningless.

“Please,” Kurt begged, his voice little more than a whisper. He hugged himself and fought back tears. “Don’t leave.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Adam voice softened, but he didn't stop packing. Closing the zipper, Adam picked the bag up by the strap and slung it over his shoulder. “I need time to think so I’m going to Elliott’s, but I am not leaving.” The unspoken ‘yet’ hung in the air, destroying the last of Kurt’s resolve. Tears tracked silently down his face but he didn't offer excuses or try to defend himself. When Adam turned toward the bedroom door, a keen of despair stopped him.

Kurt was standing, curled in on himself, his entire body trembling with tension, the paper still gripped in his hand.

“I can’t let something happen to you.” It was a plea and the desperation of it weakened Adam’s resolve. He set the duffle down and took one step toward Kurt. “I can live without the showcase but I can’t lose you again.” Kurt lurched forward, graceless, clutching at Adam as if he might disappear.

It hadn't been an easy reunion, with Kurt freshly wounded from his brief marriage and Adam barely healed from his own failed relationships. They’d tried just being friends, but the pull had been too strong and neither one worked very hard to resist. When circumstances pushed them to move in together, they’d dunk half their weight in coffee at the local cafe while working out the details. They barely lasted a week before they started re-writing the rules. This, however, had been one that Adam wouldn't compromise on.

“You promised we’d handle things together.” Adam’s tone was gentler but still firm. He’d seen the damage Kurt’s so-called friends had done, letting him protect them at every turn and never once returning the favor. “Someone is threatening us and you didn't tell me.”

“These things have been happening for years,” Kurt confessed, raw-throated, as if the words were being torn out of him. “I've always handled them.”

“Kurt,” Adam pulled Kurt over to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. “I know you’re trying to protect me but–” Adam sighed and touched Kurt’s face, angling it so he could look him in the eyes. “We have to make these decisions together. It may be nothing, but I deserve to know, and to be part of the decision. Agreed?”

Kurt nodded reluctantly, tears sliding down his face as he cried silently. Adam pulled the duvet up around them and held on until Kurt quieted. When he was calmer, Adam shifted so they could face each other. He took Kurt’s hands and held them in his own, letting Kurt see and feel Adam’s love.

“You’re already my hero, Kurt, but from now on we save each other.” He let go long enough to pick up the crumpled paper. “Starting with a visit to Dean Tibideaux tomorrow morning.”

“You’re staying?” Kurt asked, hopeful.

“No. We’re both going. Pack a bag and I’ll call Elliott. He was just saying that no one from Lima had crashed at his place lately. I think he’s starting to feel lonely.”

“So… sleepover?” Kurt perked up a little, his eyes sweeping the room for items to pack.

“Complete with discussion in the presence of a neutral party,” Adam countered firmly, very familiar with how Kurt’s mind worked.

“Before or after tequila?” Kurt asked with a smile that was only a little forced.

“During,” Adam stated, nodding authoritatively and just managing not to join in when Kurt laughed.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Part 2

 

“You can stay here as long as you want,” Elliott insisted, welcoming Kurt and Adam back after their long day of talking to Carmen and the police followed by their bosses and Adam’s landlord. In between, Kurt had managed to attend all this classes but Adam had insisted on accompanying him to and from campus and had recruited his Apples to act as escort between classes.

“Thank you,” Kurt said quietly, his posture slumped and manner subdued. Elliott cast a questioning look at Adam but didn't push the matter when Adam shook his head. Elliott had been friends with Kurt long enough to know that he hated being coddled. This couldn't be easy for him, but then it wasn't easy for Adam either, the strain of the last two days showing in the line of Adam’s jaw and the tension in his spine.

“I ordered pizza,” Elliott explained when his doorbell sounded. He ran downstairs to pay the delivery person, waving off Adam’s offer to chip in. “I was planning on ordering anyway,” he insisted, although they all knew he wouldn't have ordered two large pies for himself. One was veggie, but he’d ordered the second loaded with meat knowing that Kurt sometimes indulged when he was upset.

Adam gathered plates and cutlery, then doled out beer from Elliott’s supply. They ate without talking, letting the radio fill the silence. Conversation could wait and they weren't going anywhere tonight.

When the plates were cleared away, the leftover pizza in the fridge and fresh bottles of beer distributed, Elliott settled on the floor next to Kurt and took his hand. He reached over for one of Adam’s too, holding them both and offering his support.

“Tell me,” he requested, letting them find the words in their own time. The previous evening had been difficult, with too many harsh, angry words covering raw-edged fear. The fear remained, but it was less urgent, and the anger had been replaced by a sense of determination.

“Carmen alerted the faculty and campus security about the threat.” Adam reported. “The police kept all of the notes Kurt received and said they’d watch our apartment building. There’s not much more they can do.”

“Carmen did say that this would not impact the decision of the judges.” Kurt sighed and leaned back against the sofa looking completely exhausted. “The list will be posted on Friday. If my play isn't picked for the showcase, this will all be over in three days.”

“And if it is picked?” Elliott asked, sharing a look with Adam. Kurt looked like he had regained some of his self-confidence but there was a brittleness underneath the facade and there was a hint of strain between him and Adam.

“It doesn't matter either way,” Adam pointed out, his voice unusually harsh. “Even if this isn't a real threat, the person responsible needs to be stopped.” He leaned forward, softening his voice as he spoke directly to Kurt. “They can’t do this to you. They can’t do it to anyone. Withdrawing your play from the showcase won’t make them stop, it will encourage them to threaten someone else.”

“Maybe it wouldn't stop them,” Kurt conceded, “but it would keep you safe.” He rubbed at his temple, a gesture that revealed the depth of his distress. “I know I can’t save everyone but I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

With a growl of frustration, Adam rose and stomped off to Elliot’s bathroom, slamming the door for good measure. Kurt watched him go, but Elliott watched Kurt. Kurt had pulled his hand away when he started arguing with Adam, but he didn't object when Elliott took hold again.

“I know you’re not trying to shut him out,” Elliott confided. He’d spent more time with Kurt’s friends from Ohio than Adam had, and wasn't hindered by romantic feelings. It helped that he wasn't directly involved and could act as mediator between these two stubborn men.

“He doesn't understand,” Kurt said, sounding as helpless and defeated as Elliott had ever heard him. “People I love get hurt. They die. If there is anything I can do–”

“You can talk to him,” Elliott insisted, gentle but firm. “You’re the one hurting him if you hide things like this.”

“It’s true, love.” Adam had returned and was standing in the doorway. He moved closer so he could kneel beside Kurt. “When I found that note… It felt like my heart had stopped.” Adam made the reference to Kurt’s father’s heart attack deliberately, hoping that the shock of it would help Kurt understand.

“I don’t know what to do,” Kurt crumpled against Adam, his breathing harsh as he tried not to cry. Adam held him close and Elliott rested hands on both of them, lending them his strength.

+++++

 

“Nothing?” Isabelle asked, frowning in dismay. The Apples and Elliott were acting as escort for both Adam and Kurt, accompanying them to work and school as they waited out the last day before the list was posted. Tomorrow they would know whether Kurt’s stalker would leave them alone or continue to send threats like the note that had been slipped into Kurt’s History of Drama text yesterday, or the letter “X” scratched over his and Adam’s names on the mailbox in their apartment building. 

“The police have no leads. The only fingerprints on the notes were mine and Adam’s. There’s no security camera by our mailbox, or in the NYADA classrooms. The cameras at the school entrances were no help and although Carmen and my teachers asked for witnesses, no one has come forward.”

“What happens now?” Isabelle pushed the box of cheesecake minis closer to Kurt and smiled when he finally showed interest in the treats. She’d had them delivered to her office along with sandwiches from Kurt’s favorite deli specifically for this conversation. She’d invited Adam to join them, but he’d had to work and after missing a full day on Tuesday, he couldn't afford any more time off. Adam also had a call back audition this evening, but Elliott had insisted on playing escort for that.

“We keep to our schedules and get used to having friends accompanying us everywhere. Elliott insisted that we stay at his place at least until Monday. After that–” Kurt shrugged and ate another cheesecake.

“I may have a temporary solution. Vogue.com has an apartment that we use for entertaining. It’s empty through next week. You and Adam are welcome to use it starting today. There’s room for Elliott too, if he’d like to join you. Use of our car and driver is included, so that should satisfy your friends.” Isabelle leaned in and added, “It would make me feel better too.” She took one of the desserts, shaking it at him for emphasis. “Say yes.”

“Yes,” Kurt said with a sigh, but there was a slight smile on his face. He laughed when Isabelle popped the treat in her mouth with a look of satisfaction.

+++++

 

“Are you kidding? Of course I’m coming.” Elliott picked up his overstuffed bag and bounced on his toes. “Hurry up and pack.”

“I’m calling a cab,” Adam declared, reaching for his phone. There was a note of anxiety beneath their words an actions, spurring them on. Kurt had insisted on joining Elliott in escorting Adam to his audition. They’d returned in good spirits only to find a note slipped under Elliott’s door.

“The list will be posted tomorrow,” Kurt had said as he’d dropped to the sofa. The vile message rested on the trunk Elliott used as a coffee table where they could all see the red-inked “DIE” that had been scrawled below the typewritten threat that had expanded to include Elliott.

“Put it in this bag and we’ll give it to Officer Carr tomorrow.” Kurt slid the note into a ziplock bag Adam was holding and Adam shoved it into his duffle. He tugged Kurt to his feet and pushed him gently toward the door. “You have the keys Isabelle gave you?”

Kurt nodded, snapping back into efficient mode. He picked up his bag and headed to the door knowing Adam and Elliott would follow. Stepping out into the hall, he turned back to ask Adam a question, only to feel something hard press into his back.

“Not a word,” the person hissed, yanking him backward toward the maintenance closet. Kurt was shoved into the dark, windowless room just as he heard Adam call his name. The door locked with a loud click and the object was pressed against his back again.

Kurt could hear Adam and Elliott clattering down the stairs calling for him but he didn't dare make a sound. Until now, a part of him believed the threats weren't serious but the knife cutting into his back proved that they were real. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Adam and Elliott came looking for him. He had to do something before that happened.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his voice faltering. The person pressed the knife harder against his back and hissed for him to be quiet. It wasn't much, but it was enough to tell Kurt that his captor was a woman.

Kurt measured seconds by his heartbeat. He had two minutes, three at most to do something. Taking a breath, he let himself fall forward, going limp. The press of the knife eased briefly while his captor’s grip shifted. Unable to see, Kurt lunged to the left, the movement sending them both against a set of metal shelves. Objects rattled and some fell as Kurt scrabbled for something he could use. He found a thin wire handle attached to something heavy - a paint can possibly. He turned, swinging it with all his might while ignoring the knife blade that sliced along his arm. The can collided with flesh and the woman swore.

“Kurt!” Adam was at the door, pulling at the handle while Elliott pounded against the solid wooden surface. Kurt didn't have time to think about what they were doing; he had to put a stop to this now.

With a desperate cry Kurt planted one foot and brought the other up in a high kick that caught the woman on the chest. She fell back against more metal shelving and more unseen items clattered to the floor. Without waiting for her to regain her balance, Kurt swung the paint can in an arc feeling it collide with flesh again. There was a feral cry and he was sent sailing backwards, crashing into a wall with a weight pinning him down. A line of pain pierced his shoulder but he set his jaw and ignored it, grabbing his attacker’s hand with both of his and lifting them both up and back, reversing their position. Something shifted in his shoulder and he gasped but didn't let go, bringing his full weight down on the woman. He used one hand to reach blindly for her face, thrusting it back against the shelves with enough force that her grip loosened for a moment.

Staggering to his feet, Kurt followed the sound of Adam’s voice to the door, He fumbled for the lock and managed to turn it just as the woman lunged at him, one hand grabbing for the knife.

Kurt fell back just as the door opened.

“Kurt!” Adam surged forward, Elliott at his heels.

People Kurt didn't recognize were standing in the hall watching, but all he cared about was keeping his friends safe from the lunatic trying to wrest the knife out of his hand.

“Knife,” Kurt gasped, staggering back and almost falling as the woman on his back collided with the shelves again. He’d kept the knife away from her, but he’d dropped it. He didn't want Adam or Elliott to step on it.

“Take him.” Adam pulled Kurt free and propelled him into Elliott’s arms. Elliott immediately pulled Kurt out of the small room leaving Adam to deal with the woman.

“Stay here,” Elliott instructed, handing Kurt off to the woman who lived across the hall before returning to the storage room. Adam had the woman restrained but she was fighting wildly, despite the trickle of blood on the side of her face. Elliott found some duct tape and tore off a long strip, wrapping it around one wrist and starting on the other when the police finally arrived.

“We’ll take her,” Officer Carr insisted, motioning to two of the men who had accompanied her. They handcuffed Kurt’s attacker after removing the tape and dragged her off, ignoring the string of curses she shouted at them.

It was only then, her voice echoing in the stairwell that Kurt finally realized who she was.

+++++

“A knife wound in the shoulder doesn't render me immobile,” Kurt reminded Adam - again. He and Elliott had been waiting on Kurt for two days and it was making Kurt irritable.

“A fraction of an inch in either direction and you could have suffered permanent injury,” Adam reminded him. He handed Kurt a bottle of water and sat beside him on the sofa. Elliott settled in on the other side and took up the remote. He was enjoying Vogue.com’s lavish apartment, especially the huge television.

“I know I was lucky,” Kurt insisted, but he was still unsettled and they all knew it. “I just don’t understand why she did it. I met Harmony a few times back in Ohio. She’s talented. She didn't have to do something like this to succeed and now–” Now she was in jail waiting an evaluation. Whether or not she was judged competent to stand trial, her chance at Broadway was finished.

“Some people can’t take the pressure,” Adam reminded him as gently as he could. He didn't want Kurt taking on any responsibility for this. It didn't matter what she’d said in her statement to the police; her being wait-listed for NYADA had nothing to do with Kurt being accepted. The fact that she’d been wait listed again the next year when Blaine got in, only for him and Rachel to quit… Harmony had directed all of her rage at Kurt because he was the only one left. The fact that she’d been accepted at three other schools and turned them all down ended any sympathy Adam might have felt for the girl.

“Hey,” Elliott had heard all the discussions about this over the last two days and knew it was time to start moving on. “Isabelle’s letting us stay here for the week, even now that everything’s settled. I say we make the most of this.”

“We do have a few things to celebrate,” Adam picked up on Elliott’s intent and gladly joined in. He was exhausted, and he wasn't the one who’d been having nightmares. “What say we order a ridiculous amount of junk food and watch as many terrible movies as we can stand?”

“Fine,” Kurt agreed, pretending to go along for their sake when he loved junk food as much as they did. “But first thing Monday morning it’s back to the regular diet.” He reached over and poked Adam in the side as if there was an ounce of extra flesh to be prodded. “Someone’s got to get in shape for their new play.”

“I believe you mean ‘someones’ Mister Senior Showcase.” Before Elliott could remind them that he had no such restrictions, Kurt leaned over and poked him too.

“Okay,” Elliott surrendered, “But I’m not giving up pizza. Or beer. And I want tickets to both of your shows. Good seats.”

“Of course,” Kurt retorted, bumping against Elliott to make him laugh. “One Three Hill fans will love you no matter what. Even if you can’t fit into your costumes.”

“At the next gig I’m playing all your songs in the wrong key.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, making it a challenge. Adam let them go, taking a moment just to watch them interact.

The events of the past week were still as raw as Kurt’s wound. They’d both heal, but it would take time. Elliott, the Apples and close friends and family would speed the process, but it was the trust that Kurt and Adam were slowly learning to share that would prove the best curative of all. For that, and for every other exhilarating, frustrating part of having Kurt in his life, Adam was thankful.

 

::end::


End file.
